As expected, Sixers center Joel Embiid has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
According to a press release from the team, the procedure occurred on Wednesday and was performed by Dr. Jonathan L. Glashow at at NYU Langone Sports Medicine Center. Embiid will be reevaluated in approximately six weeks, per the Sixers.
The 76ers ruled out Embiid for the rest of the season on February 28 after he continued to be affected by ongoing left knee issues. He and the team spent several weeks consulting with medical specialists and weighing treatment options before deciding to go the surgical route.
The knee in question is the same one Embiid underwent surgery on in February 2024 after he sustained a lateral meniscus injury. The former MVP was able to return last April and played all six games of the Sixers’ first-round playoff series vs. New York in the spring before suiting up for Team USA at the Paris Olympics over the summer. However, he continued to deal with swelling in the knee in the fall, which delayed his season debut until November 12.
He never looked fully healthy after that, making just 19 appearances this season and averaging 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 30.2 minutes per game. While those numbers would be impressive for most players, the scoring and rebounding rates were well below Embiid’s career averages, as were his 44.4% field goal percentage and 29.9% mark on three-pointers.
The Sixers had reportedly been hoping that Embiid’s knee would improve over the course of the season with more reps, but when he continued to experience soreness and swelling, he began to believe he needed another surgery. The disagreement over his treatment resulted in some tension between the franchise and its star center, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Philadelphia’s season will come to an end this Sunday, since the team has fallen well out of the playoff race, so we won’t see Embiid back in action until the fall at the earliest. However, his recovery process will be fascinating to monitor over the course of the offseason. As head coach Nick Nurse acknowledged this week, getting a healthy Embiid back next season will be crucial for the 76ers to have a chance to contend in the East.
The Sixers are invested heavily in Embiid for the next several years. He is owed $179MM in guaranteed money over the next three seasons, with a $69MM player option for 2028/29.